‘[Blank] Town’ Destination: [Blank]   — Kingston Theatre Alliance

From the Shire of Middle Earth to the Metropolis of DC comics, have you ever wished you could visit a fictional town? Would you believe me if I told you it might be possible? Well, kind of. [Blank] Town Bus Tours, run by the infectiously enthusiastic duo Tony Babcock and Wilding, can take you there. At the beginning of the show, they will hand you a pamphlet and repeatedly instruct you to read it to uncover the destination and its history. But upon closer inspection, you’ll discover that the pamphlet is entirely blank; there is not a single thing written on the folded paper. So how will you know where you’re going? Welcome to [Blank] Town, the improv show that asks for prompts from the audience, lets them make up any fictitious town they please, and takes them there without anyone even needing to leave their seat. 

Usually I would be hesitant to write more than a synopsis for a show I’m reviewing so as to not spoil the surprise for audiences, but the improvised nature of the show means that every time it’s performed, what you see will be completely unique. Every performance takes place in a different town, with a different history, and a different set of characters. You can attend all eight performances at the show’s three different venues and none of them will be the same. 

A large part of that variation is thanks to the use of the audience. The audience participation in the show I attended on the 9th of August was stellar. One person suggested the town should feature a 100,000,000,000cm tall sequin in the town square. Another named the destination Big Town, prompting Wilding and Babcock to spin a hilariously confusing history of three neighboring towns: Big Town (smallest population), Medium Town, and Small Town (largest population).

Additionally, the lighting co-designed by Wilding and Babcock was a wonderful touch. When scenes flash back in time, the overhead lights bathe Wilding and Babcock in a rustic yellow glow, making the town’s past look like it has stepped straight out of an old sepia-toned photograph. Even the sound effects, which were also co-designed by the duo, added to the hilarity and spontaneity. Sometimes the technicians followed cues, but other times they had the freedom to play around with sound and lighting, forcing the performers to adapt on the spot, create a new plot point, or reenact some ridiculous actions. My favorite moment was when a sound tech played a pre-recorded effect that sounded like—what I can only describe as—a building collapsing, while Wilding was washing an imaginary blender in a kitchen sink. 

It takes real skill and a lot of practice to become good at improv. It takes even more to be as consistently hilarious as Wilding and Babcock. The duo riffed off each other like they’ve been doing it their entire lives, delivering quips and ad-libs that had me laughing so hard I was wiping tears from my eyes. I walked out of the venue still smiling, knowing the world of [Blank] Town will live in my imagination long after the [Blank] Town Bus Tour dropped me off in the real world.

All-Inclusive Comedy’s ‘[Blank] Town’ runs until August 17, 2025, at all three venues of TK Fringe as part of The Kick & Push Festival. More information about the program and tickets can be found here.